Gideon brown



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIDEON BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MODE OF CONVEYING RAILROAD-CARS AND CANAL-BOATS UP AND DOWN INCLINEDPLANES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GIDEoN BRowN, of thecity, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulmachine or apparatus, called Browns inclined plane, for the purpose ofconveying up or down inclined planes canal-boats, trains of railroadcars, or other heavy burdens; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description.`

The object of this invention is to convey up or down an inclined plane,wherever there is a small stream of water, or a canal, a train of cars,a canal boat or any other burden.

The nature of the invention consists in app-lying a downward stream ofwater to water wheels or paddles, upon whose axle trees pinions areattached, acting upon a rac-k running beside the rail, by which means,the paddles are turned in the direction of the stream, and the carriage,by means of the rack and pinion, carried up the ascent.

It is constructed in the 'following manner: A sluice or race is madeupon the inclined plane, true and even in the sides and bottom, of depthand width suiicient to accommodate the paddles. Two sluices or one onlymay be made. When two sluices are made, as is most proper, the railwayis laid between them, upon which there is a rack also between the railswhich support the carriage, or two racks, if desirable, one upon theside of eaclnrail.

When this inclined plane is intended for conveying canal boats, a lockis made at each end of the plane, one at the bottom to raise the boatupon the carriage and one at the top to raise the boat to the level ofthe canal above. When it is intended for conveying a train of cars, nolocks are necessary. The sluice runs so far beneath the railroad at thebottom that the cars can be run upon It is genpriate form anddimensions. E, E, the locks for placing` on and taking off a canal boat.

Then a burden is to be taken down the plane, it is put upon the carriageat the top and only enough water let upon the wheels to prevent thecarriagerunning down too fas By the plan above described a canal boat ortrain ot' cars may be conveyed safely and expeditiously upor down aninclined plane of any length, and when the ascent is steep or the burdengreat, it is only requisite to diminish the size of the pinions and lessspeed and more power will be attained.

l/Vhat l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- The means and method, above described, of applying a stream of waterrunning down an inclined plane to paddle wheels to whose axle-treespinions are attached running into racks, by which the burden placed uponthe axles is carried up the ascent orretarded in its passage down.l

My claim is specifically to the application of thepaddle-wheels, pinionsand racks to the purposes of conveying burdens upon an inclined plane.

GIDEON BROWN.

Witnesses:

OWEN G. WARREN, ELIZABETH BROWN.

